A man sent a series of threatening and abusive e-mails to BNP leader Nick Griffin, a court heard.

Craig Tomkinson, 41, of Cheriton Close, Allesley Park, Coventry, pleaded guilty to five counts of sending malicious messages via Mr Griffin’s official website between December 15 2012 and January 23 this year.

At Coventry Magistrates Court, Ninda Gill, prosecuting, said that a member of Mr Griffin’s staff had alerted police to a series of death threats from Tomkinson because colleagues feared for the party leader’s safety.

One message, which referenced Pim Fortuyn – a Dutch far-right politician who was assassinated in 2002 – said: “Remember Pim Fortuyn. I have your home address so it won’t be any problem to see your head explode you racist, homophobic Nazi.”

Another message, sent from a mobile phone on December 15 said: “It is the end of the world for you. You die soon”.

The prosecution stated that the abusive emails were sparked by Tomkinson’s encounter with a female BNP supporter in a Coventry pub who had branded him “fat and useless.”

Tomkinson, who is a member of the Labour Party, is already serving a 12-month suspended sentence after having pleaded guilty to similar charges at Birmingham Magistrates Court on May 8.

He has previously threatened a Liberal Democrat MP and a Conservative MP.

Defence solicitor David Rees told magistrates that Tomkinson regretted his actions and had never intended to act on any of his words, but that he fully appreciated that recipients would be frightened.

Magistrates sentenced Tomkinson to a supervised 24-month community order, to run concurrently with his Birmingham sentence.

He was also ordered to regularly see a doctor over two years, as well as to attend social services appointments.

Magistrate Marilyn Stuart told Tomkinson: “Think before you say anything from now on. I know you can get quite worked up but you see what happens when you do.”